Print all Sectors/ServicesBuilding Assessment & Renovation
When building renovation, rehabilitation, and upgrade projects involving multiple design disciplines and construction trades, our broad portfolio of in-house engineering services is ideally suited for such projects. We investigate and design structural, skin, HVAC, electrical, and plumbing systems; evaluate materials, develop rehabilitation and upgrade strategies and programs; and perform construction administration. For building structural upgrades such as improving seismic resistance, strengthening columns and foundations to support additional floors, or strengthening for blast loads using carbon fiber reinforcement, we offer expertise in innovative structural design combined with extensive experience in the unique challenges of historic building structures.
We assist building owners and managers in evaluating the condition of the structural, architectural, and mechanical systems of their property portfolio for a variety of goals, such as energy studies and capital planning studies. Condition assessment may focus on a particular portion or system component that has failed, exhibits deterioration or degradation, or is otherwise not performing as intended, or may encompass a broad evaluation of the building systems and their maintenance costs. Structural assessment may focus on an overall stability evaluation, the effects of wind, thermal, seismic or other unique loading. Condition assessment can include materials evaluation, life-cycle analysis, and the development of technically appropriate and cost-effective repair strategies.
We assist insurance carriers, building owners, developers, and lenders in evaluating the physical condition of a property to determine potential short-term and long-term financial exposure related to building envelope repairs, maintenance and improvements – including energy performance upgrades. Due diligence assessment may focus on a particular portion of the envelope that has failed, exhibits deterioration or degradation, or is otherwise not performing as intended, or may encompass an overall evaluation of the building’s envelope systems. Our expertise comes from a long history of performing structural condition evaluations and failure investigations on a wide variety of building types.
We assist building managers, owners, and potential purchasers of existing buildings in evaluating the potential for alterations, expansions and upgrades. Many feasibility studies are multidisciplinary, involving architectural features, building envelope, mechanical systems and structural systems. A structural feasibility study, for example, may include evaluating the gravity and lateral loads imposed by a proposed expansion, the identification and extent of required code upgrades for seismic or wind forces, or the structural implications and cost/schedule impact of removing major structural members such as floor slabs and columns.
For building owners, developers, or construction managers who can benefit from technical help in evaluating design and construction issues, we offer broad peer review expertise that includes structural systems, façades, and mechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems. Founded on our extensive design and failure investigation experience, our reviews consider issues related to function, economy, and constructability. We understand the realities of construction and can offer practical approaches and alternatives. We approach peer reviews as we would want others to review our own designs—offering constructive evaluations as helpful professional colleagues.